It looks as if I [Icepack, Dec. 1, 2005], along with all local media, was wrong in reporting that South Street institution Pontiac Grille (formerly J.C. Dobbs) would no longer feature live music. The Pontiac and its owner, Daryl Madden, severed its relationships with Heyday Booking (Khyber, North Star) and Songspot.org (Abilene) to turn the double-decker room into a loungier restaurant. The official press release came from Heyday, stating: "Starting Jan. 1, 2006 the owners of the Pontiac Grille are not interested in having live music in their venue due to wanting their restaurant business to increase." Songspot.org's Joe Mahoney confirmed as much.

Well, that's not necessarily true.

David Heydt, Pontiac's executive chef-turned-venue manager, tells us that, though Songspot and Heyday will no longer be booking shows, live music will continue at Pontiac with bands upstairs, occasional acoustic performers on the first floor, and DJs and other musical events after dinner.

"The new booking will be done by guys from The Point," says Heydt, of a yet-unnamed group from Bryn Mawr's venerable club. "So in that sense, the style of music may change—not be so punk-rock-oriented." Heydt explains that the venue also won't have live music four nights a week, though he adds that Pontiac's "punk-rock karaoke" with live band will continue monthly.

A mostly adult sound is what Madden and onetime partner Jeff Fusco had originally discussed when they signed a lease-to-buy agreement from Dobbs owner Kathy James in summer 1996.

So why, then, no Heyday or Songspot? It seems as if Pontiac was unhappy with what those bookers brought to the table.

"We had agreed to book a lot of all-ages shows, that, to tell you the truth, though we made some money from them, they did kill the business in the restaurant," says Heydt, who also cited problems like no-shows on a few Friday nights.

"To be honest, we felt that we were not getting the best shows we could get, other than all-ages, for what they cost us," says Heydt.